A lucky find at a book sale, I acquired the book Arctic Spirit by Ingo Hessel. It is a book of Inuit art from the Albrecht Collection at the Heard Museum.
I was overwhelmed by the beauty and simplicity of the many sculpted pieces presented. Powerful pieces with a feeling of solidity and yet some full of motion. This contrast is kind of hard to describe.
So much could be told within some of the simplest carvings. I guess emotion, or maybe a feeling of presence with the piece would be the best way I could describe how I related to viewing the beautifully photographed pieces. I can only imagine what it must be like to hold one in your hand.
Even when I’m gardening and I come across stones there’s that feeling of being connected as it’s rolled about in my hand.
The piece I’m posting, a quick pastel sketch, was inspired by a stone sculpture I’d seen in the book by Pauta Saila, of one of his “Dancing Bears”.